Throwing device

ABSTRACT

A throwing device having a body, and a tail portion which extends away from one end of the body. The tail portion generally includes at least one fin, and the tail portion is configured such that the fin may be selectively oriented at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the body so that the fin will tend to impart either clockwise or counterclockwise rotation to the device during flight, as selected by the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of application Ser. No. 60/309,346, filed Aug. 1, 2001.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a throwing device having an adjustable tail.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] A variety of prior art throwing devices include one or more fins which not only increase the distance which the device may be thrown, but also improve the stability of the device in flight. These fins may also be angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the throwing device in order to cause the device to rotate (i.e., spin) in flight. Such rotation about the longitudinal axis of the device will further increase the throwing distance and improve stability in flight.

[0006] The orientation of angled fins on a throwing device will dictate the direction of rotation during flight. However, the act of throwing the device (e.g., a football) often tends to impart rotation to the device as it leaves the user's hand. In addition, the direction of rotation may also depend upon the manner in which the device is thrown. For example, when the device is a football or other similarly-shaped object, a right-handed throw will typically cause the football to rotate clockwise during flight (as viewed by the thrower). A left-handed throw will typically cause a football to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. When angled fins are employed on a throwing device, it is desirable to ensure that the direction of rotation imparted by such angled fins corresponds to the direction of rotation imparted by the throwing motion. If such rotational directions do not match, the effectiveness of the angled fin(s) will be significantly diminished. For example, the finned football depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,514 is only suitable for right-handed throwing. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a throwing device having angled fins wherein the direction of rotation imparted by the fins may be reversed by the user. In this manner, for example, a finned football may be effectively thrown by both right and left-handed users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] One embodiment of the present invention provides a throwing device which comprises a body having a longitudinal axis, and a tail portion which extends away from one end of the body. The tail portion generally comprises at least one fin, and the tail portion is configured such that the fin may be selectively oriented at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the body so that the fin will tend to impart either clockwise or counterclockwise rotation to the device during flight, as selected by the user. The tail portion may also include a shaft which extends away from said one end of the body, with the fin(s) extending radially away from the shaft. In one embodiment, a single fin is provided, however, the fin extends radially away from opposite sides of the shaft. It is also contemplated that multiple fins may be provided such that the multiple fins are arranged about the circumference of the shaft with each fin extending radially away from the shaft.

[0008] The shaft of the throwing device may be rotationally fixed with respect to said body, and at least a portion of the fin(s) is rotatable about the shaft. In addition, the fin(s) may be configured such that the fin may be helically angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body by rotating a portion of the fin(s) about the shaft while another portion of the fin(s) is rotationally fixed with respect to the shaft. A passageway aligned with the longitudinal axis of the body may also be provided, wherein the fin(s) extends radially away from the passageway and the shaft extends through at least a portion of the passageway. The fin and passageway may both be provided by a first fin layer and a second fin layer, wherein a portion of a surface of the first layer is secured to a portion of a surface of the second layer such that the passageway is located between the portions of the surfaces which are not secured to one another. The shaft may extend through at least a portion of the passageway such that the first and second fin layers may be rotated about the shaft both clockwise and counterclockwise in order to select the angle of the fin with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body.

[0009] The throwing device may also include a support member attached to one end of the body, with the shaft is secured to the support member. The support member may be configured to prevent rotation of an end of the fin(s) which is adjacent the body. The support member may include a protrusion which is secured within the body. The support member may also include a slot, such that the end of the fin(s) which is adjacent the body is positioned within the slot.

[0010] The throwing device may be configured such that the body is substantially prolate in shape (e.g., shaped like an American football). The body of the throwing device, as well as the fin(s) may be made of a variety of materials, such as polymeric foam.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a throwing device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the throwing device of FIG. 1;

[0013]FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 1, however, the tail portion has been adjusted to a right-handed helical angle;

[0014]FIG. 4 is the same view as FIG. 1, however, the tail portion has been adjusted to a left-handed helical angle; and

[0015]FIG. 5 is a distal end view of the throwing device of FIG. 1;

[0016]FIG. 6 is a distal end view of the throwing device of FIG. 3; and

[0017]FIG. 7 is a distal end view of the throwing device of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] As described in greater detail herein, the present invention provides a throwing device having a body and an adjustable tail portion. In particular, the throwing device includes a tail portion having one or more fins which may be selectively oriented at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body of the throwing device such that the fin(s) will impart rotation to the body of the device during flight. Furthermore, the angle of the fin(s) with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body may be reversed so that the body will rotate in the opposite direction during flight.

[0019] As used herein, the direction of rotation of the throwing device in flight is from the thrower's perspective. Thus, for example, a standard American football thrown right-handed will rotate clockwise, as viewed by the thrower.

[0020] One particular embodiment of the throwing device of the present invention comprises a football (or other substantially prolate shaped body) having an adjustable tail portion which extends away from one end of the football. The tail portion includes one or more fins which may be oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body of the football, or at an angle thereto. This angle may even vary along the length of the fin(s). The angularity of the fin(s) may also be reversed such that the fin(s) will cause the body of the football to rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise, as desired. In this manner, the angularity of the fin(s) may be selected based upon whether the football is to be thrown right or left-handed. One particular embodiment of the present invention allows such adjustment to be made quickly and easily by a user, without the need for any external tools or implements, such that a right-handed user and a left-handed user may readily throw the football back and forth to one another.

[0021]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a throwing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Throwing device 10 generally comprises a main body portion 11 and an adjustable tail portion 12. Body 11 is depicted in FIG. 1 as being substantially prolate in shape, such as the shape of a football (particularly, an American football), however the scope of the present invention is not so limited. For example, body 11 can take any of a variety of conventional or unconventional shapes, as desired, such as other types of balls.

[0022] For point of reference, the longitudinal axis of body 11 is identified at 20 in FIG. 1. In addition, the leading or proximal end of body 11 is identified at 16, and the trailing or distal end of body 11 is identified at 17. The term “leading end” is merely meant to indicate that throwing device 10 is configured to be thrown with proximal end 16 leading and distal end 17 trailing.

[0023] Body portion 11 may be made from any of a variety of materials. For example, body 11 can be molded from a relatively soft polymeric foam material of the type commonly used for soft toy balls and the like, such as polyurethane foam. Other suitable materials may include, for example, polyethylene, PVC and EVA foams. It should be kept in mind, however, that the present invention is not limited to the use of any particular materials for body 11 or any other portion of throwing device 10.

[0024] Body 11 may further include any of a variety of surface ornamentations or other features which enhance the visual appearance, feel or functional properties of the throwing device. For example, when body 11 is shaped like a football (as in FIG. 1), various surface ornamentations may be added to further enhance the football-like appearance (such as the addition of laces, seams, stitching and the like). Printed indicia instructing the user how to adjust the tail portion for a right or left-handed throw may also be provided on body 11 or any other portion of the throwing device (such as on cone-shaped portion 46 of support member 25).

[0025] In the specific embodiment of FIG. 1, an apertured ring 18 extends around the central circumference of body 11, as shown. Apertured ring 18 includes a plurality of apertures 19 which not only provide an aesthetically-pleasing appearance, but also improve the grip and feel of throwing device 10. The shape, number and configuration of apertures 19 shown in FIG. 1 is merely exemplary of one embodiment of the present invention. For example, one or more of the apertures shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted in order to provide a more secure attachment of ring 18 to body 11 (such as by gluing). In addition, apertured ring 18 may be made of any of a variety of materials, particularly polymeric materials such as PVC or Kratone polymer.

[0026] As best seen in the exploded view of FIG. 2, body 11 may include a recessed area 21 in its outer surface which is sized to accommodate apertured ring 18. In particular, the depth of recessed area 21 may correspond to the thickness of apertured ring 18 in order to further enhance not only the visual appearance of the throwing device, but also the feel of body 11. Furthermore, recessed area 21 may also assist in retaining apertured ring 18 on body 11. Of course, it is also contemplated that apertured ring 18 may be glued, welded, or otherwise affixed to body 11 as desired.

[0027] The throwing device of FIGS. 1 and 2 further includes an adjustable tail portion 12 which extends longitudinally away from distal end 17 of body 11. In the particular embodiment shown, tail portion 12 includes a generally triangularly (or delta) shaped fin or wing 22. Fin 22 is generally symmetrical about longitudinal axis 20 and includes a right-half 13 and a left-half 14 which extend radially away from opposite sides of longitudinal axis 20. In the embodiment shown, the width of each fin half 13 and 14 (as measured perpendicularly to longitudinal axis 20) is identical at any given point along longitudinal axis 20 (such that fin 22 is symmetrical about longitudinal axis 20).

[0028] It should be noted that any number of fins may be employed in the throwing device according to the present invention, and each fin need not be shaped and arranged symmetrically with respect to longitudinal axis 20. For example, fin 22 may be replaced by a pair of fins which extend radially away from opposite sides of longitudinal axis 20 (such as from a shaft aligned with longitudinal axis 20). When multiple fins are employed, the fins may, however, be arranged symmetrically about longitudinal axis 20 in order to promote more stable flight.

[0029] The size and shape of fin 22 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is also merely exemplary of one possible embodiment. For example, while the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 depicts the leading and trailing edges 37 and 38 of fin 22, respectively, as being generally linear, the leading and/or trailing edges of each fin may be curved or provided with any other suitable shape for aesthetic, as well as performance reasons. For example, trailing edge 38 in the embodiment shown is slightly forward swept with respect to longitudinal axis 20.

[0030] Fin 22 is depicted in FIG. 1 as extending from distal end 17 of body 11 parallel to longitudinal axis 20. This “flat fin” arrangement, while providing improved stability during flight, will generally tend to inhibit rotation of throwing device 10 during flight. However, when throwing device 10 is thrown by a user, particularly when body 11 is substantially prolate in shape (such as football-shaped), the act of throwing will generally impart rotation to throwing device 10. For example, a football thrown by a right-handed user (when properly thrown) will rotate clockwise during flight. When the flat-fin arrangement of FIG. 1 is employed, however, the surfaces of fin 22 are generally parallel to longitudinal axis 20 and will counteract the rotation of body 11 such that the rotational speed will decrease during flight. As the rotation of body 11 decreases, in-flight stability will also decrease.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, however, tail portion 12 of throwing device 10 is adjustable such that the fin may be angled with respect to longitudinal axis 20 of the throwing device in order to further enhance rotation, and hence stability, during flight. In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, fin 22 is angled such that the fin has a substantially helical orientation about longitudinal axis 20. Such a helically-oriented fin will provide a screw-like effect during flight, thus imparting a rotational force to throwing device 10. In the embodiment shown, the surfaces of fin 22 are “substantially helical” in orientation in that, as further described herein, the forward end portion 40 of fin 22 adjacent body 11 remain substantially parallel to longitudinal axis 20, while the remainder of fin 22 is helically angled with respect to longitudinal axis 20. In addition, the helical angle of the fin need not remain constant over the length of the fin, and, for example, may increase along the length of the fins in a direction extending away from body portion 11. Likewise, the helical angle of fin 22 may also vary across the width of the fin, as desired.

[0032] It should also be pointed out that fin 22 in FIG. 3 is angled in a “right-handed” orientation which will impart a clockwise rotation to the ball during flight (as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3). Therefore, when throwing device 10 of FIG. 3 is thrown by a right-handed user, fin 22 will enhance the rotation, and hence the stability of throwing device 10 in flight. Throwing device 10 of FIG. 3, however, is generally not suitable for use by a left-handed user, since the right-handed orientation of fin 22 will work against the counterclockwise rotation imparted by a left-handed thrower. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the tail portion of the throwing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured such that fin 22 may be adjusted to a “left-handed” orientation. In the left-handed orientation of FIG. 4, fin 22 is angled with respect to longitudinal axis 20 in a direction opposite to that of FIG. 3. In other words, the helical angle of the fin has been reversed such that the fin will impart a counterclockwise rotation to throwing device 10 during flight. In this manner, when the device is thrown by a left-handed user, fin 22 will further enhance the counterclockwise rotation imparted by the thrower.

[0033] The throwing device according to one embodiment of the present invention allows the user to selectively adjust the angle of the fin with respect to the longitudinal axis by allowing the user to rotate one end of the fin about the longitudinal axis while the opposite end is rotationally fixed with respect to the longitudinal axis. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, for example, the user may adjust the fin from the flat fin arrangement shown in FIG. 1 to the right-handed fin orientation of FIG. 3 or the left-handed fin orientation of FIG. 4 merely by rotating rear end portion 41 of fin 22 about longitudinal axis 20 while forward end portion 40 of fin 22 remains stationary. Alternatively, of course, the user may hold rear end portion 41 stationary and rotate forward end portion 40 (such as by rotating body 11 when forward end portion 40 is rotationally fixed with respect to body 11).

[0034] It is also contemplated that the throwing device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that the rear end portion of the fin(s) remains stationary with respect to the body portion of the throwing device, while the forward end portion of the fin(s) is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the throwing device with respect to the body portion.

[0035] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, although the surface of forward end portion 40 of fin 22 will generally remain parallel to longitudinal axis 20 when rear end portion 41 is rotated, the surface of the remaining portion of fin 22 will curve around longitudinal axis 20 in an helical or spiral fashion, as shown. For example, by rotating end portion 41 in a counterclockwise direction about longitudinal axis 20 while forward end portion 40 remains stationary, the user can impart an helical angle to fin 22 which produces a clockwise (or right-handed) rotation during flight. By rotating rear end portion 41 of the fin in a clockwise direction while forward end portion 40 remains stationary, a user can similarly impart an helical angle to the fin which produces a counterclockwise (or left-handed) rotation during flight (e.g., as shown in FIG. 4). As further discussed herein, the throwing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is also configured such that the fin will tend to remain in its rotational orientation after rear end portion 41 has been rotated in the desired direction by the user.

[0036] In order to allow for the selective rotation of the fin about longitudinal axis 20, tail portion 12 of one embodiment of the present invention includes a shaft 15 which extends away from distal end 17 of body 11 along longitudinal axis 20. Fin 22 is oriented such that right-half 13 and left-half 14 of fin 22 extend radially away from opposite sides of shaft 15 as shown. Of course when multiple fins are provided, the fins may be arrayed about the circumference of shaft 15 in any desired arrangement, particularly a symmetrical arrangement about shaft 15. Since the right and left halves of fin 22 extend generally radially away from shaft 15, the fin 22 may be rotated about longitudinal axis 20 by merely rotating the fin about shaft 15.

[0037] In the embodiment shown, shaft 15 is rotationally fixed with respect to body 11 of throwing device 10, such that shaft 15 will not rotate as fin 22 is rotated about longitudinal axis 20. Of course it is also contemplated that shaft 15 may be rotatable about longitudinal axis 20, since the fin adjustability feature simply requires that one end of the fin remains rotationally stationary with respect to longitudinal axis 20 while the opposite end of the fin may be rotated about axis 20.

[0038] In order to facilitate the rotation of fin 22 about shaft 15 (and hence longitudinal axis 20), a passageway 42 may also be provided on fin 22. Passageway 42 is aligned with longitudinal axis 20 and is sized and configured to accommodate at least a portion of shaft 15 therein. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, passageway 42 may be tubular in nature. In addition, in the particular embodiment shown, since passageway 42 is integral with fin 22 (as described below), passageway 42 will rotate along with fin 22 about shaft 15.

[0039] Although passageway 42 may comprise any of a variety of tubular members to which fin 22 is attached, passageway 42 may also be integrally formed with fin 22. For example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, a first fin layer 34 and a second fin layer 35 are provided. Fin layers 34 and 35 may comprise any of a variety of materials, particularly polymeric foam materials such as EVA foam in the form of sheets (or any of the foam materials previously mentioned).

[0040] Fin layers 34 and 35 are shaped to not only provide the right and left halves of fin 22, but also the upper and lower halves of passageway 42. Thus, the portions of fin layers 34 and 35 which form right and left fin halves 13 and 14 may be affixed to one another (such as by gluing or heat welding) while the central region of layers 34 and 35 are not affixed to one another. In this manner, passageway 42 will be provided between fin layers 34 and 35, and located between right and left fin halves 13 and 14, as shown. The fin structure thus provided by layers 34 and 35 may merely be slid over shaft 15.

[0041] In the embodiment shown, wherein shaft 15 is rotationally fixed with respect to longitudinal axis 20, shaft 15 is not affixed to passageway 42. In this manner, fin 22 (including passageway 42) may be rotated about shaft 15. Alternatively, forward end portion 40 of fin 22 (including passageway 42) may be affixed to shaft 15 as long as the remainder of fin 22 is not affixed to shaft 15, thus allowing fin 22 to rotate about shaft 15 while forward end portion remains rotationally fixed with respect to shaft 15 (and hence body 11) In an alternative embodiment wherein shaft 15 is rotatable with respect to longitudinal axis 20, however, shaft 15 may, if desired, be affixed to the interior walls of passageway 42, such that as fin 22 is rotated about longitudinal axis 20, shaft 15 will also rotate.

[0042] As mentioned previously, in order to impart a helical or spiral angle to fin 22, rear end portion 41 of the fin is rotated about longitudinal axis 20, while forward end portion 40 of the fin remains stationary with respect to longitudinal axis 20. For example, forward end portion 40 may be glued or otherwise affixed to (or even within) body 11.

[0043] Alternatively, and in order to provide more support to the forward end portion 40 of fin 22, a slot may be provided at or adjacent to distal end 17 of body 11 in order to accommodate forward end portion 40 of fin 22. Although such a slot may be provided in body 11 itself, the embodiment shown includes a support member 25 configured to provide a slot 44 which accommodates at least a portion of forward end portion 40 of fin 22 therein. Support member 25 is attached to the distal end 17 of body 11, such that slot 44 extends perpendicularly across longitudinal axis 20. In this manner, when forward end portion 40 of fin 22 is positioned within slot 44, the surface of forward end portion 40 of fin 22 will be aligned with longitudinal axis 20.

[0044] As best seen in FIG. 2, support member 25 may comprise a molded plastic (such as ABS or PVC) and may include a substantially cone-shaped portion 46 which fits around distal end 17 of body 11. In fact, the distal end of body 11 may include a recessed region 45 which is sized and configured to accept cone-shaped portion 46 of support member 25. In this manner, once support member 25 is affixed to distal end 17 of body 11, a smooth transition will be provided between the outer surface of body 11 and the outer surface of cone-shaped portion 46 of support member 25.

[0045] Although support member 25 may merely be affixed to distal end portion 17 of body 11 (such as by gluing and the like), it may also be desirable to provide a more secure connection between support member 25 and body 11. Therefore, as best seen in FIG. 2, support member 25 may include a protrusion 47 which is sized and configured to be snugly received in a corresponding cavity 49 which extends into the interior of body 11. Protrusion 47 may be of any of a variety of sizes and shapes and the cylindrical configuration shown is merely exemplary of one possible embodiment. Protrusion 47 provides additional contact area between support member 25 and body 11 such that, for example, the exterior surface of protrusion 47 may be glued to the interior walls of cavity 49. In this manner, protrusion 47 and cavity 49 provide a more secure connection between support member 25 and body 11. In addition, protrusion 47 will also add some rigidity to body 11 of the throwing device.

[0046] As best seen in FIG. 2, upper and lower slot walls 26 and 27, respectively, extend rearwardly away from cone-shaped portion 46 of support member 25. Slot walls 26 and 27 are generally parallel to each other, however, each slot wall may have a central arc section, as shown. The curvature of the central arc sections generally correspond to the curvature of the outer surface of fin 22 at passageway 42. In this manner, forward end portion 40 of fin 22 may be inserted into slot 44 provided between slot walls 26 and 27, with the region of slot 44 located between the central arc sections of slot walls 26 and 27 accommodating the outer surface of passageway 42. When fin 22 is positioned in this manner, the walls of slot 44 (i.e., slot walls 26 and 27) will prevent rotation of forward end portion 40 of fin 22.

[0047] Since the walls of slot 44 prevent rotation of the fin along the entire length of the slot, the slot walls will minimize any torque on a bond (such as glue bond) between the front edge of fin 22 and body 11. If desired, forward end portion 40 of fin 22 may even be affixed to the interior walls of slot 44 (such as by gluing). Alternatively, fin 22 may not be rigidly affixed to body 11 or slot 44. For example, the material of slot walls 26 and 27, as well as that of fin 22, may be selected such that friction between the outer surface of the fin and the slot walls will inhibit the removal of the fin from slot 44. In this manner, the fin assembly may be easily replaced by the user as desired.

[0048] As mentioned previously, shaft 15 extends away from distal end portion 17 of body 11, and, in the particular embodiment shown, is rotationally fixed with respect to the longitudinal axis of body 11. While shaft 15 may be directly affixed to body 11 such as by extending shaft 15 into the interior of body 11 and securing it therein, shaft 15 may also be secured to support member 25 such that the shaft is indirectly affixed to body 11. It follows, therefore, that if shaft 15 is rotationally fixed with respect to support member 25, it will also be rotationally fixed with respect to body 11. Once again shaft 15 may be affixed to support member 25 by any of a variety of means, such as gluing.

[0049] In the embodiment shown, however, shaft 15 is integrally formed with support member 25 (such as by a plastic molding process). Such an arrangement will provide a more rigid connection between support member 25 and shaft 15 since they are formed as a unitary structure. It will be understood, however, that an annular gap should be maintained between the central arc sections of slot walls 26 and 27 and shaft 15 (as best seen in FIG. 2) such that the wall of passageway 42 formed by first and second fin layers 34 and 35 may be positioned between the central arc sections of slot walls 26 and 27 and shaft 15. In this manner, the fin structure may be slid along shaft 15 such that the forward end portion 40 of fin 22 may be inserted between the slot walls 26 and 27 (i.e., into slot 44).

[0050] As mentioned previously, it may not be necessary to securely affix the fins to the outer surface of cone-shaped portion 46 of support member 25 or the interior surface of slot 44. In order to maintain the fin structure on shaft 15, however, a cap or plug member may be inserted into (or otherwise affixed to) the distal end of shaft 15. In this manner, as long as the outer diameter of the cap member is greater than the inner diameter of passageway 42 at the distal end thereof, the fin assembly will be retained on shaft 15 in the desired position.

[0051] When the user rotates the fin structure about longitudinal axis 20, it will generally be desirable to ensure that the fin structure does not return to the flat fin arrangement of FIG. 1. In particular, since the forward end portion of the fin will remain generally parallel to longitudinal axis 20, the fin may tend to want to return to the flat fin arrangement of FIG. 1. While any of a variety of structures and configurations may be used to maintain the desired curvature of the fins, one embodiment of the present invention relies on friction between the inner walls of passageway 42 and the outer surface of shaft 15 to maintain the desired curvature of the fin assembly.

[0052] For example, a user may hold body 11 in one hand, and grasp the rear end portion 41 of the fin structure with their other hand. The rear end portion 41 of the fin structure may then be rotated in a counterclockwise direction about shaft 15 (as viewed from the distal end of the throwing device) while body 11 is held stationary. Of course body 11 may be rotated while rear end portion 41 is held stationary, or body 11 and rear end portion 41 may both be rotated in opposite direction. Rotation of the fin structure with respect to body 11 in this manner will provide a right-handed helical angle to the fins (as seen in FIG. 3). Once the desired angle has been established and the user no longer applies a rotational force to the fin (and/or body 11), friction between the interior wall of passageway 42 and the exterior surface of shaft 15 will maintain the fin at the desired helical angle. By appropriate selection of the materials for fin 22 and shaft 15, the friction between passageway 42 and shaft 15 will be sufficient to allow the user to impart the desired helical angle to the fin structure.

[0053] Should the user wish to provide a left-handed helical angle to the fin structure, the user may simply rotate fin 22 clockwise about shaft 15 while the ball remains stationary (or is rotated in the opposite direction). As before, once the desired helical angle has been established and the user no longer applies a rotational force to the fin (and/or body 11), friction between the interior wall of passageway 42 and the exterior surface of shaft 15 will maintain the fin at the desired angle.

[0054] Although shaft 15 may have any of a variety of cross-sectional shapes (such as a circular cross-section), shaft 15 may be shaped to further enhance the ability of the shaft to maintain the desired helical angle of the fin structure. For example, shaft 15 may have a polygonal cross-sectional shape such that the outer surface of shaft 15 will include three or more longitudinal edges which tend to grip the interior of passageway 42. For example, as seen in the end views of FIGS. 5-7, shaft 15 may have a triangular cross-sectional shape such that the longitudinal edges of shaft 15 extending along the interior of passageway 42 will tend to grip the interior wall of passageway 42. This gripping action is enhanced by appropriate selection of the material used for the fin structure. For example, when fin 22 is formed from a compliant material such as a polymeric foam, the longitudinal edges of shaft 15 extending along the interior of passageway 42 will tend to deform (and therefore grip) the interior walls of passageway 42. Of course shaft 15 may have any of a variety of other configurations which improve the ability of shaft 15 to “grip” the interior of passageway 42 so that both a right and left-handed helical angle may be maintained for the fin structure. By way of example, one or more ridges may be provided along the surface of shaft 15, or the surface of shaft 15 may be roughened or coated in order to increase friction between shaft 15 and the interior wall of passageway 42.

[0055] The fin structure of the throwing device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to provided any of a variety of helical angles. However, there will be a maximum helical angle which may be imparted to fin 22, and this maximum angle will depend on, among other things, the rotational flexibility of fin 22 and the ability of shaft 15 to prevent fin 22 from releasing its helical angle. Of course the use of a locking element or other structural member to prevent fin 22 from rotating back towards the flat fin arrangement of FIG. 1 may allow for a greater helical angle. 

What we claim is:
 1. A throwing device, comprising: (a) a body having a longitudinal axis; and (b) a tail portion extending away from one end of said body, said tail portion comprising at least one fin, said tail portion configured such that said fin may be selectively oriented at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the body so that the fin will tend to impart either clockwise or counterclockwise rotation to the device during flight, as selected by the user.
 2. The throwing device of claim 1, wherein said tail portion further comprises a shaft extending away from said one end of said body, and wherein said at least one fin extends radially away from said shaft.
 3. The throwing device of claim 1, wherein said body is substantially prolate in shape.
 4. The throwing device of claim 2, wherein said shaft is rotationally fixed with respect to said body, and at least a portion of said at least one fin is rotatable about said shaft.
 5. The throwing device of claim 4, wherein said at least one fin is configured such that said fin may be helically angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body by rotating a portion of said fin about said shaft while another portion of said fin is rotationally fixed with respect to said shaft.
 6. The throwing device of claim 2, further comprising a passageway aligned with the longitudinal axis of the body, wherein said at least one fin extends radially away from said passageway and wherein said shaft extends through at least a portion of said passageway.
 7. The throwing device of claim 6, wherein said fin and said passageway are provided by a first fin layer and a second fin layer, wherein a portion of a surface of said first layer is secured to a portion of a surface of said second layer such that said passageway is located between the portions of said surfaces which are not secured to one another.
 8. The throwing device of claim 7, wherein said shaft extends through at least a portion of said passageway such that said first and second fin layers may be rotated about said shaft both clockwise and counter-clockwise in order to select the angle of said at least one fin with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body.
 9. The throwing device of claim 7, wherein said first and second fin layers each comprise a sheet of polymeric foam.
 10. The throwing device of claim 4, further comprising a support member attached to said one end of said body, wherein said shaft is secured to said support member and said support member is configured to prevent the rotation of an end of said at least one fin which is adjacent said body.
 11. The throwing device of claim 10, wherein said support member includes a protrusion which is secured within said body.
 12. The throwing device of claim 10, wherein said support member further includes a slot, and wherein the end of said at least one fin which is adjacent said body is positioned within said slot.
 13. A throwing device, comprising: (a) a body having a longitudinal axis; (b) a shaft extending away from one end of said body; and (c) at least one fin extending radially away from said shaft, wherein said fin is configured such that a portion of said fin may be rotated about said longitudinal axis and another portion of said fin is rotationally fixed with respect to said longitudinal axis so that said fin may be helically angled with respect to said longitudinal axis.
 14. A finned football, comprising: (a) a football-shaped body having distal and proximal ends and a longitudinal axis; (b) at least one fin extending away from the distal end of said body, wherein said fin is configured such that a first portion of said fin may be rotated about the longitudinal axis of said body and a second portion of said fin is rotationally fixed with respect to said longitudinal axis. 